Musona available for Angola tie, Warriors in camp

[Posted 05 Sep 2012][By Brighton Mupangavanhu]

Zimbabwe's most consistent player and by far the most important striking asset in the senior national soccer team, Knowledge Musona's participation in the crunchy first leg of the final qualifier against Angola in Harare on Sunday has been confirmed.

After Musona announced his return from from a brief flirtation with early retirement for what appears like justified reasons, his participation was in doubt after his Harare-based lawyers doubted Musona would be available due to alleged late notification of his club by the Zimbabwe Football Association.

Now it appears that Musona's lawyers might have somehow incorrectly reported issues, or alternatively the lawyer Misheck Hogwe of Hogwe, Dzimirai and Partners might have been quoted wrongly by Zimbabwean newspapers.

Nyika Chifamba the interim Warriors manager has now confirmed Musona's participation, and apparently the player was even expected to join the rest of the players in camp by end of day on Wednesday.

“We have been in touch with him and he is definitely coming. We expect him tomorrow (Wednesday),” said Chifamba yesterday on Musona.

“Only three players have arrived so far and the rest of the players should be here tomorrow (Wednesday),” Chifamba was quoted by Newsday as having said.

By Tuesday night, only six foreign-based players had joined the camp; South Africa-based defenders Oscar Machapa, Esrom Nyandoro and Botswana based defender Arnold Chaka , attacking midfielders Brian Abbas Amidu, Khama Billiat and Belgium-based Vusa Nyoni plus striker Takesure Chinyama, who is yet to taste action in a competitive match for new club Orlando Pirates.

All the other foreign-based players like Musona, Denmark-based striker Quincy Antipas, Archieford Gutu from Sweden, Cyprus-based defender Noel Kaseke, Amazulu defender Carlington Nyadombo and his team captain, the injured Tapuwa Kapini, England-based Onismor Bhasera and Bidvest Wits strong-man Tinashe Nengomasha were expected either late yesterday or early today.

The bizarre development, judging by reports from Harare is the decision by the Warriors management to call on captain Tapuwa Kapini for camp when it is clear that he missed his club's league tie against Golden Arrows last weekend due to injury.

Apparently the Warriors medic should assess first the condition of Kapini before deciding on whether he can participate in the crunchy match on Sunday.

That sounds like a terrible turn by the Warriors. Kapini underwent a scan at Amazulu, which revealed that he could be kept out of action for two to three weeks, and hence his non-participation in Amazulu's last league fixture.

To insist that Kapini must report to camp flies in the face of trust between Amazulu and the Warriors, which could strain relations between the two parties in the future. For such an important player for both country and club to be forced to travel under a barrier of pain is not medically desirable.

There could be challenges in future in the event that Zifa fails to adhere to the requirement of notifying Amazulu of the call-up of its players. Where relations are strained, a club will be within its rights to stick to the letter of the law and frustrate the national team.

What has happened to good judgement and prudence in Zimbabwean football these days? While a national association must assert its rights, one has to assess situations and do so where it is necessary to do so without compromising the future.

In this instance, it was not necessary to get into an expense to fly in and back an injured player who is not going to play for the Warriors. Even if Kapini is on the road to recovery and is forced to play on Sunday for Zimbabwe, that could affect his own relations with Amazulu, and he could even be accused of one thing or the other by the club who pays his salary.

Mike Temwanjira has also been ruled out of the match on Sunday. It also appears that another goalkeeper Marlon Jani has also been ruled out after picking out an injury during training yesterday.